Daily Archives: March 26, 2022

All three Norwind Offshore vessels will have Inmarsats Fleet LTE, the all-in-one service that offers continuous connectivity.

PublishedMar 25, 2022 1:17 PM by The Maritime Executive

[By:Inmarsat]

Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, has reached an integrated connectivity agreement with Norwind Offshore, a vessel owner that supports the development of renewable offshore energy. The partnership covers connectivity and digitalisation needs for three Service Operation Vessels (SOV) operated by Norwind.

The contract includes an existing Platform Supply Vessel undergoing retrofit to become a SOV, with delivery due in May 2022, and a letter of intent covering two newbuilds. All three vessels will have Inmarsats Fleet LTE, the all-in-one service that offers continuous connectivity. Fleet LTE allows vessels to switch automatically between 4G offshore fibre networks to Fleet Xpress Ka-band service when sailing out of LTE coverage zones and to access FleetBroadbands resilient L-band coverage for unlimited back-up. The vessels will also have Fleet Data and Fleet Connect to facilitate digitalisation onboard and Fleet Hotspot for crew wellbeing.

Under the agreement Inmarsat will partner with Norwind in its digitalisation efforts and will create a single cost-effective digital infrastructure for various original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) onboard to monitor equipment and collect data easily without affecting bandwidth. The data collected onboard will further assist in making data-driven decisions at the touch of a button. In addition, Norwind stands to benefit from Inmarsats Certified Application Providers (CAP) programme that hosts a myriad of applications designed for the maritime industry to reduce fuel emissions, enhance vessel performance and crew welfare as well as save lives at sea.

Inmarsats agreement with Norwind Offshore extends beyond core maritime connectivity services, representing a partnership in which we are working closely with our first offshore wind market customer to fulfil its digitalisation objectives, said Eric Griffin, Vice President Offshore, Inmarsat Maritime. Central to this is the single digital infrastructure through which Norwind and its OEMs will gain actionable insights on fuel efficiency, emissions reduction, weather forecasting and more to benefit its vessels operational efficiency.

The integrated solution means Norwind avoids the prohibitive costs of multiple networks or the complications and expense of installing hardware to support individual applications. In addition, through Fleet Hotspot, Norwind can offer high-speed internet access to crew that is independent of operational bandwidth. This provides a more attractive working environment for vessel personnel and meets the expectations of external engineers attending the ship.

We see Inmarsat as the ideal partner for the offshore wind sector, said Roy Ove Standal, Chief Operating Officer, Norwind Offshore. Thanks to our agreement, we now have a clear path to digitalisation which works towards our safety, operational efficiency, sustainability and crew welfare objectives from day one. Fleet LTE allows us to tap into available 4G infrastructure, when such technology is available at the wind parks, thereby minimising the gap between the internet services that can be enjoyed ashore.

Initially launched in 2020, Fleet LTE is now part of Inmarsats far wider investment plans for maritime, which include the seamless integration of multiple technologies into one cohesive ORCHESTRA of solutions. Inmarsat ORCHESTRA is a unique dynamic mesh network that will bring together existing geosynchronous (GEO) satellites including ELERA (L-band) and Global Xpress (Ka-band) with low earth orbit satellites (LEO) and terrestrial 5G into an integrated, high-performance solution to offer the lowest average latency and fastest average speeds available in the maritime industries.

The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.

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Inmarsat and Norwind Offshore Partner on Digital Ecosystem - The Maritime Executive

For decades, there has been a something must be done campaign about places like the British Virgin Islands which, for some purposes, are supposedly as British as Kent or Perthshire but, for others, are global protectorates of crime and corruption.

This week, a Foreign Office minister scuttled off to the Caribbean for urgent discussions on how sanctions against Russian oligarchs can be implemented. A little late, you might think.

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On past form, normal business will resume once the shooting stops. A test will come in legislation going through Parliament to oblige offshore companies with UK property to disclose beneficial owners.

There is also a deadline for the British Virgin Islands to launch a public register showing ultimate owners of companies registered there. In practice, will anything change? It hasnt in the face of previous measures which is why the Russians are heading there.

We often hear of things that will never be the same again because of Ukraine. If this turns out to be one of them, the only tears shed would be from those whose wealth requires secrecy and the amoral industry that serves them.

The current governor of the British Virgin Islands started out as a Scottish solicitor and lecturer at Aberdeen University. Im sure John Rankin would agree that, whether in Buchan or the BVI, its easier to catch the crooks if you know who they are.

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Offshore tax havens: Efforts to impose sanctions on Russian oligarchs make this a good time to act against these ghettos of secrecy and dirty money ...

A consortium led by ExxonMobil Corp. will analyze data collected from the Glaucus-2 appraisal well in Block 10 of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus. Drilling of the now completed well demonstrated the presence of a gas reservoir with high quality characteristics, according to the Cyprus Ministry of Energy, Trade, and Industry.

This is the second discovery well in the block, which covers 635,554 acres (2,572 sq km) in the Eastern Mediterranean in about 6,800 ft of water. Data will be used to help determine the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the reservoir more accurately, as well as the potential options for development and commercialization of the discovery.

The well was drilled by the Stena Forth drillship.

Pursuant to current legislation, the consortium will notify the Ministry of Energy, Trade, and Industry of the data evaluation results as soon as they are completed.

In February 2019, ExxonMobil discovered natural gas offshore Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean at the Glaucus-1 well (OGJ Online, Feb. 28, 2019). At the time, the operator said the discovery could represent an in-place natural gas resource of about 5-8 tcf (142-227 billion cu m).

ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Cyprus (Offshore) is operator (60%) with partner Qatar Petroleum International Upstream OPC (40%).

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ExxonMobil to analyze gas discovery offshore Cyprus - Oil & Gas Journal

Malaysias giant Petronas has signed new Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) for five offshore blocks located offshore the coast of Sabah and Sarawak.

Petronas said that the PSCs were signed for SB412, 2W, and X blocks offshore Sabah and SK439/SK440 located off the coast of Sarawak. The blocks were awarded as part of the Malaysia Bid Round 2021.

The contract signing ceremony took place on Tuesday, March 22, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

The PSC for Block SB412 was signed between Petronas, PTTEP, and SapuraOMV, while the PSCs for ultra-deepwater Blocks 2W and X were signed between Petronas, Sabah Shell Petroleum, Shell Sabah Selatan, and Petronas Carigali.

The PSC for Sarawaks Block SK439/SK440 was signed between Petronas, Shell, and Petroleum Sarawak Exploration & Production.

Petronas Senior Vice President of Malaysia Petroleum Management Mohamed Firouz Asnan signed the PSCs on behalf of the company.

Petronas is pleased that the newly signed PSCs would attract a capital commitment of about RM600 million over $142 million in exploration activities in Malaysia, reflecting the attractiveness of Malaysias hydrocarbon resources potential, Firouz said.

The reduction in global exploration drilling over the past two years has pressured the industry to resolve current supply shortages. As global economies have started to recover post-pandemic, the industry needs to ensure exploration activities continue to sustain production.

Petronas is committed to reducing carbon emissions from our operations with technologies such as Carbon Capture and Storage. We look forward to working together with our partners to provide safe and reliable energy to the market, he concluded.

The Malaysia Bid Round is an annual Malaysia licensing round that offers investors diverse upstream opportunities, including exploration acreages, discovered resource opportunities, and late-life-producing assets. The 2021 round was virtually launched in late February 2021.

As for the Malaysia Bid Round 2022, it was launched on January 27 and it offered 14 exploration blocks, six clusters of discovered resource opportunities, and one late-life asset cluster.

Petronas, via Malaysia Petroleum Management, manages petroleum arrangements in Malaysia and provides stewardship on upstream petroleum activities.

To contact the author, emailusername.eldina@gmail.com

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Petronas Expands Portfolio With Five More Offshore Blocks - Rigzone News

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. We want to tackle the major problems that impact all of us. We call this new initiative, our solutions journalism show, Solutionaries. The idea is to find big-picture solutions to these problems, such as the supply chain crisis.

If youre in the Jacksonville, Florida area, youve likely seen the logjam of container ships sitting idly offshore. The vessels are packed with items destined for store shelves -- and theyre things business owners and consumers desperately need delivered.

Latasha Kaiser owns the restaurant Krave Vegan, which sits in a mall just outside Jacksonville. Kaisers whole business is about substituting one ingredient for another to make her dishes vegan.

Banana blossom -- I use that for fish, she said. Again, not in stock.

And now, with the supply chain shortage, Kaisers job is that much harder.

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We have one can left that Im about (to), after this, going to find and track down banana blossom, Kaiser said.

Kaiser hasnt been able to find the product wholesale.

It was available when I ordered it, but by the time the truck was loaded, it was out of stock, she said.

On the chance that Kaiser is able to locate what she needs, she is now having to pay the same price shoppers would pay at a grocery store.

This problem goes well beyond Krave Vegans kitchen.

When borders closed around the world in 2020, shipments of goods stopped.

When businesses began reopening, demand returned. Cargo ships filled with items waited to be off-loaded at ports.

However, there were not enough workers to unload the goods, and not enough truckers to deliver them to stores.

And, because demand has outgrown the supply, costs keep going up.

The price has tripled on many things, Kaiser said. Robust, organic, olive oil -- we dont want to talk about what that case looks like. Im just going to say it. It was $28 to $32. Now its $55 to $65, and that is astronomically insane!

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We wanted to know: Is relief on the way? Who, if anyone, is succeeding when it comes to relieving the supply chain issues?

We traveled to Savannah, Georgia, where people are trying to figure out how to move forward, starting at the docks.

Is there one thing to fix this supply chain issue? we asked Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch at the 2022 Savannah State of the Port event.

No, Lynch answered. There is no one thing to fix it, but what I am seeing is, there are good things that are happening.

The State of the Port event is a way for the Georgia Ports Authority to show off its accomplishments and what its doing right. But that wasnt always the case. In October, like the rest of the country, Savannahs ports had up to 30 cargo ships waiting to off-load at any given time.

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And how many do you have today? we asked Lynch.

Zero, he said. There are zero ships at anchor today.

The Port of Savannah is the third-largest in the country, with plans to expand container capacity by 60% in the next three years.

For perspective, according to the Georgia Ports Authority, on Feb. 22, 2022, the number of ships waiting at U.S. ports was:

Savannah: 0

Houston: 11

Oakland: 12

New York-New Jersey: 15

Virgina Port Authority: 15

Pacific Northwest Ports: 18

South Carolina Ports Authority: 34

Part of our values is creativity, and thats asserting ourselves into the supply chain where necessary, and (finding) solutions, Lynch said. And one of the solutions to fixing this issue isnt actually on the water. Youre going to have to go further inland.

Inland, stacked like Legos, are six different pop-up yards owned by the Georgia Ports Authority.

Its empty land that, in total, offers an additional 500,000 TEUs of annual container space.

For some background ...

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TEUs are how cargo ships measure space.

A standard 20-foot shipping container is one TEU.

Most cargo ships hold between 10,000 and 21,000 TEUs.

And that means combined, the six pop-up yards can fit as many as 50 cargo ships worth of containers.

We need to provide our customers with more space, because they have nowhere to send their cargo, Lynch said.

Between trucker shortages and a lag in ordering times, Lynch said, businesses arent always ready to pick up their shipments when they get to the port. The pop-up yards offer a temporary home for those containers -- creating more space at the port for other ships to off-load.

There are decisions and things weve done that will be a permanent part of our makeup moving forward, as a result of the challenges weve had, Lynch said.

But the executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority also said pop-up containers alone are not going to fix a worldwide supply chain issue.

We are still up against it, he added. We have zero ships at anchor today but given the fact that many ports (are) highly congested, customers are calling us, asking if they can bring their ship to us. So, we cannot handle 20 million TEUs, right, so were building to get to 7 to 9 million TEUs. Every port is a finite number. The nice thing about the Georgia Ports Authority is that our expansion capability is unbelievable and unmatched. Its just a matter of, how quickly can we build it?

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Time is key, and every day is a race against the clock to keep ships moving and keep businesses open, Lynch said.

To learn more about Solutionaries, or watch previous episodes (weve tackled the climate crisis, affordable housing, time banks, and police relations), click or tap here -- or visit our YouTube page.

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Ships are sitting offshore containing items that we desperately need -- what can be done? - WJXT News4JAX

Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Dongfang Electric Corporation (DEC) has won contracts to supply wind turbines for two offshore wind projects in Chinese waters with a combined capacity of 360 MW.

DEC will provide its 7.5 MW turbines for the 300 MW Zheneng Taizhou No. 1 offshore wind farm in the East China Sea, off the Zhejiang province.

This is the first offshore wind project on which DEC will cooperate with Zheneng, the turbine maker said.

The second wind farm is being developed off the Fujian province by China Three Gorges.

The 100 MW Three Gorges Pingtan offshore wind farm is located off Pingtan and will feature DECs 10 MW offshore wind turbines. DEC will reportedly supply six of its 10 MW turbines for the project. The remaining turbines will reportedly be supplied by Jinfeng Technology.

DEC put the prototype 10 MW wind turbine into operation in July 2020.

At the end of 2021, DEC had put 1.12 GW of its 7 MW-and-above offshore wind turbines into operation, the company said.

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Dongfang Turbines to Spin on Two Chinese Offshore Wind Farms | Offshore Wind - Offshore WIND

Equinor and BP have announced they will convert the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Brooklyn, New York, into an offshore wind hub.

The companies will invest $200250m in infrastructure upgrades to create an operations and maintenance hub, as well as a staging area for their joint Empire Wind and Beacon Wind projects. Together, these should produce 3.3GW, or enough electricity to power nearly two million homes in the New York area, when completed.

This agreement marks a major step forward in our commitment to New York State to both provide renewable power and to spark fresh economic activity, while creating enduring jobs, said Siri Espedal Kindem, president of Equinor Wind US, in a press release on 3 March.

In addition to the 73.1-acre development, Equinor announced in December 2021 the opening of a New York offshore wind project office in Industry City, which is adjacent to the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal.

Oil and gas companies are increasingly looking to pivot to offshore wind, with Equinor leading the way. It expects offshore wind to account for two-thirds of its targeted 1216GW of global renewables capacity by 2030.

BP aims to become net zero by 2050. Like the other oil majors, it too is building renewables businesses.

In Europe and elsewhere, wind capacity deployments remain below what is needed to avoid dangerous climate change. A green Covid recovery could add 20GW of wind power in key developing economies, concluded a new report by the Global Wind Energy Council in February 2022.

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Equinor and BP to create US offshore wind hub - Energy Monitor

Leading strategic service provider increases global reach and services through most recent acquisition

San Jose, CA and St. Louis, MO, March 24, 2022 InterVision, the leading IT strategic service provider, today announced the acquisition of Virtuosity Consulting, a technology firm with a strong global presence and extensive experience with Digital Transformation services. This transaction is yet another step forward in InterVisions strategy to expand territory, grow technical depth, add innovative offerings, and deliver even more value to clients.

Virtuosity is an established, global consultant with over 150 talented employees across the US, Europe and India, said Jonathan Lerner, President and CEO of InterVision. Committed to client success, we want to expand our global reach to address customers growing needs, to provide exemplary, follow-the-sun support and to continue to deepen our technical expertise and solutions. Virtuositys experience with top-tier hyperscalers, adds valuable services focused on business and process automation, software engineering, system integration, Web 3.0 technologies, and digital intelligence, to our already well-established IT consulting and professional services portfolio. This strategic acquisition accelerates our plan to provide greater value to our customers and prospects.

In 2021, enterprise software spending hit $601 billion globally. As the technology market continues to accelerate, working with global managed service providers with deep expertise in both Microsoft and AWS will be crucial to long-term business success. With the acquisition of Virtuosity, InterVision is even better equipped to provide greater value to enterprises along their innovation journeys, said Lerner.

Virtuosity is excited to be part of InterVisions continuing quest to innovate with the best in the industry to bring big-time technology solutions and services to our customers. This partnership elevates the already renowned InterVision brand as recognized leader in the managed services space by bringing a combination of disruptive agility, a 24-hour development capability, and a platform for launching InterVision into the Web3.0 evolution, shared Brent Lazarenko, Managing Partner at Virtuosity Consulting.

InterVision was founded in 1993 and has a national presence with 14 offices and 450+ employees, servicing more than 1,500 clients from coast to coast. The companys principal shareholders include MidOcean Partners, Huron Capital and members of management. Over the last five years, InterVision has acquired a number of leading firms to expand its territory, its portfolio of offerings, and drive value to its customers.

InterVision is paving the way for what it means to provide real value to customers, shared Elias Dokas, Managing Director at MidOcean Partners. The recent acquisition of Virtuosity is a testament to InterVisions dedication to its customers, and we firmly believe in the direction, vision and future of this growing and innovative organization.

To learn more about InterVision and its services visit http://www.intervision.com.

About InterVision Systems

InterVision is the leading strategic services provider, delivering and supporting complex IT solutions for mid-to-enterprise and public sector organizations throughout the US. With more than 25 years of experience, coupled with one of the most comprehensive product portfolios of managed IT service offerings available, the company is uniquely positioned to guide clients through any stage of their technology journeys. InterVision drives business outcomes with an unparalleled focus on the customer experience to help organizations be more competitive, compliant, and secure. To learn more, visit http://www.intervision.com.

About Virtuosity

Virtuosity is a global technology services and consulting firm executing Digital Transformation and technology initiatives for all levels of sizes of enterprise. With locations throughout North America as well as development and support centers in India across Navi Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore, our services focus on business and process automation, Software Engineering, System Integration, Web3.0 technologies, and Digital Intelligence.

For more information contact [emailprotected] or 425-999-4044, or visit https://www.virtuositycg.com/

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InterVision Expands Onshore and Offshore Capabilities with Acquisition of Virtuosity - DevOps.com

Danish clean energy giant rstedis taking offshore wind safety to something of a futuristic level as it explores the use of Jet Suit paramedics to support staff working on the worlds largest offshore wind farms.

rsted is developing some of the worlds largest offshore wind farms including the massive 7GW+ Hornsea zone in the UK, which is located more than 90kms offshore and features turbines of 190m tall and more.

It has partnered with Great North Air Ambulance Service(GNAAS) andGravity Industriesin the UK to trial onshore the viability of Jet Suit paramedics for the wind industry.

Powered by five gas turbine propulsion assemblies positioned on the arms and back, the Gravity Industries patented Jet Suit generates over 1,050 horsepower, 144kg of thrust, and a maximum forward speed of 80km/h for flight times of around 1 to 3 minutes.

Trials began in February and saw experienced GNAAS paramedics training to use the Jet Suit in the Lake District of northwest England. Training has already enabled a GNAAS paramedic to compete their first free flight, safely operating the Jet Suit unassisted, with a new group of paramedics soon to follow.

According to rsted, the next stage of training, expected to begin during the Northern Summer, will develop GNAAS paramedics flight skills to a level where real operational experience can be assessed, and real assistance can be provided via Jet Suit paramedics in the Lake District.

Looking forward, rsted is hoping Jet Suit-capable paramedics will be able to provide on-site triage and urgent casualty response at offshore wind operations that will likely dramatically improve patient stability and survivability.

The Jet Suit would allow paramedics to quickly transfer to and from offshore structures in the case of an emergency.

Our drive for creating the Suit came from wanting to challenge what seemed like the impossible, and to now see it being used for areas of Special Forces mobility and First Response Search & Rescue, its very exciting, said Richard Browning, founder and chief test pilot at Gravity Industries.

Were enjoying working in a new sector and helping the front-line workers in clean energy. The Jet Suit produces up to 144kg of thrust; the thrust to weight ratio works out to be greater than any known Jet Fighter we are aware of.

Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet as he never learned to drive and his learners permit ran out.

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Jet suits are being trialled for paramedics in offshore wind farm teams - RenewEconomy